Spurs look like Thunder team that rose to top

Just a few weeks ago the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder were making it appear that the rest of the NBA would be playing for second place.

- By Cliff BRUNT

Oklahoma City won 24 of its first 25 games, with the Thunder often blowing out opponents and resting starters in the fourth quarter.

Three losses to the San Antonio Spurs within two weeks later, a legitimate threat to Oklahoma City’s crown has emerged. San Antonio defeated the Thunder 117-102 on Thursday, handing Oklahoma City its first home loss of the season.

San Antonio’s first win, a close call in an NBA Cup semifinal, would have been easy to write off. But the last two victories over the Thunder — by 20 in San Antonio on Tuesday and by 15 on Thursday — have been decisive. Still, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was reserved when asked if San Antonio’s success against Oklahoma City has sent a message to the league.

“Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t,” he said. “But we're focused on the rest of the season. It’s very long. We're not even halfway through, so .. I'm not really sure it’s smart to think so far into the future.”

Both sides said the number of games in a short span resembled a playoff series. The results showed the Thunder have work to do.